€600m euro winter initiative package announced

An Taoiseach Michéal Martin has announced a comprehensive and detailed plan on how to respond to the ongoing threat of Covid in the next six months.

The plan will focus on working to renew social, cultural and economic life, and "we can do this if we work together," said Michéal Martin.

The plan revolves around three core pillars: protecting health, strengthening employing and supporting communities.

This plan introduces a new framework for restrictive measures. There will be five levels of response to different levels of threat from the virus.

Currently every county is at level 2 restrictions. The Taoiseach said "our collective effort is required to get to level 1 while we wait for a vaccine to be developed".

The existing level 2 restrictions will remain in place for a further three week period.

The Taoiseach said Covid numbers in Dublin are "very worrying", and the government will to introduce additional measures involving a heightened system of monitoring and enforcement to outbreaks.

He said rising rates of infection can be reversed by taking personal responsibility.

The government has approved €600m euro winter initiative package to develop and protect health services up to next March.

Key business supports will remain in place until March 31st next year.

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment will remain open to new entrants until the end of the year.

On travel, the Government has decided to "broadly support" the European Commission approach on travel as the best way of keeping the country open.

The third pillar of the plan is about helping communities, through sport, allowing limited crowds to attend sporting events under specific conditions.

The plan allows for access to theatre, music and cinema events in small control settings.

Michéal Martin said the absence of live arts and cultural events has reminded everyone how "creativy has never been as important". He said he understands the huge impact this has to people who work in the entertainment sector.

He also said menatal health supports will be increased nationally.

NPHET will remain as the key body providing public health advice to the government, but a new group will be formed to coordinate proposals for acting on public health advice and implementing measures.

The Taoiseach said after six months of this pandemic, he understands how people feel exhausted, but schools have managed to reopen, and the economic stimulus package is making a very real difference.

Over 200,000 people have been able to come off the special pandemic payments. Unemployment has fallen from 23% to 15%.

He warned however, that "Until there is there is an effective vaccine, that is widely administered, we must continue to live with the reality that Covid-19 is potentially deadly, causes long-term illness and we must limit its spread".

"The plan shows how we can limit the impact of the virus while we keep schools open, protecting and expanding employment, re-opening services and supporting social and cultural activity."